Metal shelving



1931. s. GOLDBERG Y METAL SHELVING Filed June e, 1930 l Gam-- INVEN-roRSAMUEL 601.95m@y Jly 14,

h is ATTORNEYS shelvin Patented July 14, 1931 SAMUEL GOLDBERG, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., PORATION, OF NEW .YORK, N. Y.,

AssIGNoR To UNIVERSAL rixcrnnn con- A CORPORATION or NEW Yom:

METAL SHELVING Application filed June-6, 1930. Serial No. 459,533.

Important objects of the present invention .are, to provide an improvedshelf design en- 4abling the manufacture of a strong shelf entirely fromsheet metal stock by a simple manufacturing process; to `provide for themanufacture of such as shelf from a single blank of sheet metal; toproduce strong sheet metal at a low cost;to,provide a sheet metal selfwith improved edge reinforce- `ment of double-ply channel beam form madeinte rally with the body of the shelf from a sing e blank of sheetmetal; and to provide for the manufacture of a strong, Wear-resistingshelf from sheet metal of reduced thickness. Y

In theA drawings, Fig. 1 is a frontview,

partly in section, of a shelving structure embodying my invention; p t

Fig. 2 a transverse section taken on the line 2-42 of Fig. 1, upon alarger scale;

Fig. 3 a plan view upon a reduced' scale of a blank for forming theshelf;

Fig. 4 a detail section, upon a large scale, taken on the line 4 4 ofFig'l; 2 Fig. 5 a fragmentary plan view of a shelf blank shaped forforming reinforcements at 4 the shelf ends similar to those at thelongitudinal edges; and

Fig. 6 a longitudinal sectional view of a shelf formedl from said latterblank.

,In the form illustrated the shelving struc- `,ture includes fouruprightv metal corner, members or posts l for supporting the shelves.Preferably the posts are ofY angular formfin cross section to fit `theshelf corners. The shelvesare designated 2 and embody an improvedfeature of design which will `be described in detail4 later inthespecification.

All of the shelves are preferably of the 'same form, and a descriptionof one `will'su'iice for Y all of them.

Each shelf is formed from asingle sheet 1 metall blank B which containsa central rectangular area C to form the body of the self, extendedlongitudinal margins -L of material width and extended end margins E ofless v width than margins L. In forming the shelf from the blank thelongitudinal margins L are formed, byv a. simple manufacturing process,into depending reinforcing beam strucand is produced by bending one ofthe longitudinal margins L of the blank vertically downward along alongitudinal line 4 to form the outer ply 5 of a web of material depthdepending from the shelf. Then the margin is bent inward along aparallel longitudinal line 6 to form an outer or lower ply 7 of a flangedisposed substantially at right angles to the depending web. Next themargin is folded back upon itself along a parallel longitudinal line 8to form an upper or inner flange ply 9 cdvering the outer flange ply 7and pressed into close contact with substantially the entire innersurface of the latter.y At the bend between the outer plies 5 and 7 themargin isV bentupward along a parallel longitudinal line 10 to form aninner web ply 11 covering the inner surface of the outer web ply 5 andpressed into close contact with substantially the entire inner surfacethereof and with the bend between the inner plies 9 and 11 closely f1tinto fit `closely into the bend between the shelf body and the outer ply5. Plies 9,

. 11l 'and 13 then form a -strong inner reinforcement integrally formedwith the shelf body Vin a simple manner and lying entirely within thechannel defined by the outer vplies 5 and 7 and the edge of the shelfbody. y Preferably the shelf is formed along both its front and rearedges in the manner described, with the said integral double-ply channelbeams 3. The bending and folding of the longitudinal blank margins L andthe p pressing together of the-,plies and their Vope under the severestrain is quite common.

posed bends may be easily performed by a rolling process which isextremely simple and inexpensive. At its ends also, the shelf isprovided with integral reinforcement. In the present instance thisreinforcement is formed by bending the end margins E of the blank Bfirst downward and then inward along parallel lines 14 and 15respectively to form single-ply angle beams 16 of the same depth as thebeams 8. Ordinarily this single ply reinforcement will give sufficientstrength to the shelf ends. However my iniproved double-ply channel beamstructure may also be employed at the ends of the shelf if required, asin the case of a shelf of exceptional depth.

In the present instance the reinforced shelves 2 are supported bytheangle posts 1 with their corners, including the ends of the beams 3 andof the beams 1 6, fitting within the angles of the posts. Near theirends the beams 3 are secured to the supporting posts by bolts 17 eachpassed through an aperture in the double-ply vertical web of the beam.Bolts 18 secure the end beams 16 to the posts. In both cases, however,the fastening means may be varied. Vertical rows of holes 19 arepreferably formed in the posts 1 for the bolts 17 and 18 to provide ifor the ver-tical adjustment of the shelves in the usual manner.

In many services, shelving structures are requiredy to bear very heavyloads, and sagging, distortion and rupture of the shelves It has beencustomary to make the shelves of heavy sheet metal stock and to employseparately fabricated reinforcing means such as angle irons, or thelike, whichobjectionally complicate the shelf structure and addmaterially to its cost, without an adequate gain in strength. Thepresent shelf design with its integrally formed double-ply, channel beamreinforcing` structures enables the shelf, to support its load withoutrupture, distortion or appreciable deflection. strong shelf, it isextremely inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore its design permits ofa material reduction in the thickness of sheet metal stock used in ashelf of given strength, thus further reducing the cost yof sheet metalshelving.

The longitudinal edges of the shelf, in addition to being` adequatelyreinforced t resist fiexure under the deposited shelf load, are alsostrongly reinforced to prevent denting and possible rupture at thelongitudinal edge corners where the shelf body and the downturnedmargins join.` This is an important practical feature. Often in placinga load upon a shelf or in removing it the extreme edge of the shelf issubjected momentarily to a` concentrated weight and strain much greaterthan that which it will bear when the load is resting squarely upon theshelf with its weight distributed. The inturned ply 13 and the closefitting of the bend between ply 13 and ply 11 into the downward bend ofthe shelf margin, backup andY adequately reinforce the extreme edge ofthe shelf. rlhe shelf 4,edge is thereby enabled to withstand theconcentrated weight as well as the wear and pounding to which it will besubjected in many services, with- ,out becoming dented or iguptured.

Vhen the shelves are of very great depth, or when they are required towithstand exceptional strains, double-ply channel beams like thosedescribed may be formed along the end edges of the shelves as well asalong the longitudinal edges. Fig. shows one corner of a blank shapedfor so reinforcing the shelf ends. The end margins E are shaped like thelongitudinal margins M and are similarly folded to form double-plychannel reinforcing beams 3a similar to the beams 3.

lhat I claim is: Y

l. A sheet metal shelf including a reinforcing structure' extendingalong one edge thereof, integrally formed therewith from a single blankof sheet metal and comprising a depending beam formed by a margin of theshelf blank bentdownward and' inward to form a channel, bent reverselyand pressed into close `face to face contact with the downwardly andinwardly bent portions, within said channel, and formed with a bendcloselyvtting within and reinforcing the downward bend along the latter.

2. A sheet metal lshelf including a reinforcing structure extendingalongone edge thereof, integrally formed therewith from a single blankof sheet metal and comprising a depending beam formed by a margin of theshelf blank bent downward and inward to yform a channel, bent reyerselyand pressed into close face to face contact with thev downwardly andinwardly bent portions, within said channel, formedwith an inward bendclosely fitting within the downward bend and reinforcing the lattertherealong, and having its extreme margin pressed into close face tofacecontact with the under face of the shelf along said fitting bends. v

` 3. A sheet metal shelf including a reinforcing structure extendingalong one edge thereof integrally formed therewith fromma single blank:of sheet metal and comprising a double-plychannel beam formed by amargin of 'the shelf blank bent downward to form .a depending, verticalouter lweb' ply, bent inward to form a horizontal outer flange plyalongthe base of said web ply, folded upon itself to form an inner flange plycovering and closely contacting substantially the entire uppersurfaceof` said outer flange ply, bent upward to form an inner web plylcovering and closely contacting substantially the entire inner surfaceof said `outer web ply and Vbent inward to form an inner flange plyextending inward from the downward bend of the outer web ply andhaving'substantially its entire area closely contacting the undersurface of the body of the shelf alongV the margin of the latter.

4. A sheet metal shelf including a reinforcing structure extending alongone edge thereof, integrally formed therewith from a single blank ofsheet metal and comprising a depending beam formed by a margin of theshelf blank bent downward and inward to form a channel, bent reverselyand pressed into close face to face contact with the downwardly andinwardly bent portions, within Said channel, and formed with a bendcloselyk fitting within and reinforcing the downward bend along thelatter; upright supporting members at opposite ends of the shelf; andfastening means securing said beam to the supporting members.

` 5. A sheet metal shelf including reinforcing structures extendingalong the front andV rear edges thereof, each integrally formed with thebody of the shelf from a single blank of sheet metal and comprising adepending channel beam formed by a margin of the shelf bent downward toform a depending vertical outer web ply, bent inward to form ahorizontal outer flange ply along the base of said web ply, folded uponitself to form an e inner flange ply covering substantially the entireupper surface of said outer flange ply and pressed into close face 'toface contact therewith, bent upward to form an inner web ply coveringsubstantially the entire inner surface of said outer web ply and pressedinto close face to face contact therewith, formed with an inward bendclosely fitting within the downward bend and reinforcing the latteralong the shelf edge and having a marginal strip portion pressed intoclose face to face contact with the under face of the shelf along andcontiguous to said fitting bends.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my 45 signature.

e SAMUEL GOLDBERG.

